If you look at general pictures of ballet dancers, you will invariably see a ballerina doing an arabesque. The arabesque is used a lot in ballet as well as in gymnastics and modern dancing. The aim of the dancer is to produce a pretty line for his or her audience, and it takes years of … Read more
Ballet is a wonderful art form that allows you to express yourself through movement. Here are some ballet dance moves for you to try for yourself. We will start with the basics, as this is the foundation of your technique, and having a good technique enables you to look graceful when you perform more … Read more
There are many wonderful ballet steps for kids that they can do during class and at home for practice. When dealing with ballet positions for kids, one has to be careful to choose exercises that are appropriate for the age and strength of the child. Doing exercises before the child is ready for it could … Read more
Ballet bar exercises make up almost 50% of the ballet class at times, and bar work has been going on as long as ballet has been around. Some people think that ballet bar exercises are outdated, and they are not needed anymore in the training of ballet. As a ballet student, you will either love … Read more
Here is a post dedicated to the subject on how to dance with pointe shoes, as it is not as easy as ballerina’s make it look. It is the dream of every little girl who does ballet to dance in pointe shoes. In fact, all my pupils at some stage of their training ask me … Read more
Here are some basic ballet positions explanations and illustrations for you. There are 5 basic foot positions and 5 basic arm positions in ballet – 1st to 5th position in both feet and arms. Basic Ballet Positions Illustrations Here are some ballet positions illustrations and descriptions to help you to understand them in your … Read more
Turnout in ballet is a very controversial subject, and every ballet dancer wants to achieve perfect turnout. But how does turnout actually work and what are the limits. Let’s look at some of the muscle groups and ways in which we can increase our turnout in ballet. Why is this and why do we need … Read more
I was teaching for another teacher the other day, and when the class was completed the pupils rushed off to get their clothes. I shouted at them ‘girls where is your curtsey.’ They looked at me awkwardly and then half-heartedly made there way back onto the floor and did a terrible attempt at a reverence … Read more
Are you a dance teacher who is pulling her hair out in the process of how to teach skipping to your babies? Unfortunately, if a 3-year-old can’t skip naturally already, it is usually quite difficult to teach them the skill of skipping for dance purposes. All children should learn this skill as it is a … Read more
Update 2020: Unfortunately this product has now been taken off the market place. If you would like some private online lessons, please email me at michelmaling@yahoo.com for further information. I purchased The Ballet Bible DVD a few years ago, shortly after it came out, to get some ideas to use with my teaching, and these are my … Read more